Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration Initiatives in Asia

Kao Taiwan’s plant is situated in Hsinchu County, where it has a tree planting area on a government-owned clearing.
In 2018, Kao Taiwan hosted a tree-planting event in collaboration with external experts. 51 employees participated in planting 100 saplings of native trees. On the same day, a local NGO organized a program to distribute 1,000 native tree saplings to tourists at the nearby Hsinchu Station, and Kao’s employees also took part in this initiative.

In 2019, 103 employees and their families planted 700 saplings. The initiative also involved protecting the previously planted trees, administering pest control, and maintaining the soil and water. The employees who participated were able to significantly expand their understanding of biodiversity by receiving guidance from NGO experts on the planted trees.

In this tree planting area, various activities that promote biodiversity were introduced, including composting local waste and building an insect hotel. The three-year tree-planting initiative was completed as planned in 2020.

The Amata Industrial Park in Biên Hòa, where Kao Vietnam’s plant is situated, commemorates Environment Day every June and organizes a tree-planting program to enhance the green spaces within the industrial park. Kao Vietnam has been participating in the program since 2022.
In 2023, approximately 200 individuals from 20 companies on-site participated in the program, including eight from Kao Vietnam.
Trees are planted in various locations every year. In 2023, 1,250 gurjun balsam trees, native to mainland southeast asia, were planted on a vacant 15,160-square-meter plot. Employees who participated expressed their desire to participate annually, because planting trees helps reduce CO2 emissions, protect the land, improve the landscape, and save the planet.

Since its establishment in 1979, Pilipinas Kao (PKI) has been producing high-quality chemical products, including premium alcohol, refined glycerin, and tertiary amine, in Mindanao, the Philippines.

Until 1990, Kao’s main ingredient was coconut palm, and the company owned a local coconut palm plantation. Research was conducted in cooperation with the Philippine Government to improve coconut palm varieties and create higher-yielding hybrids. The hybrid species was shorter in height than the typical coconut palm. This was expected to reduce the risk of accidents for workers collecting the fruits.

Unfortunately, the hybrid species could only be grown for one generation. As a result, the research was discontinued without yielding any results for the next generation.
With the intention of resuming research in the future, PKI planted elite coconut palm trees that were gathered at the time in a protected area at the site. These trees are still carefully cultivated to this day.

PKI carried out mangrove planting activities in collaboration with multiple government agencies and stakeholders as part of wetland conservation efforts for our common future. This initiative reflects PKI’s commitment to promoting environmental conservation activities through collaboration with employees, contractors, and government agencies.

Employees of each division of PKI successfully completed the planting of 500 mangrove seedlings on March 3, 2026. This activity aimed to protect coastal ecosystems and improve employees’ environmental awareness and demonstrated PKI’s commitment to environmental conservation.

This activity was carried out under the leadership of the Senior Vice President and Vice President, with the active participation of employees. Furthermore, with the cooperation of experts from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Initao, technical guidance and support for mangrove planting were provided.

In addition to employees from various divisions of PKI, approximately 100 employees of partner companies also participated in this event. The involvement of a diverse range of stakeholders demonstrated that teamwork and collaboration are essential to achieving environmental sustainability goals.

The mangrove planting initiative was carried out in collaboration with key government agencies, including the Philippine Department of Transportation, the Philippine Ports Authority, and the CENRO Initao. Through collaboration between businesses and the government, the region as a whole demonstrated a sincere commitment to the conservation of local natural resources and the coastal environment.

KPG implemented a biodiversity conservation program on Songsong Island in Kedah on June 29, 2024, in conjunction with World Environment Day, with approximately 200 participants, including employees and their families.

Songsong Island is known as a popular tourist destination, but at the same time, coastal waste and its impact on marine ecosystems have become challenges. In this program, activities such as beach cleanup, coral planting, renovation of public facilities, and tree planting to improve the nesting environment for sea turtles were carried out to contribute to the conservation and restoration of the ecosystem.
In addition, we conducted a survey on the coral’s growth and the surrounding environment six months after the coral was planted.

KPG was recognized for its contribution to marine biodiversity conservation through efforts related to coral conservation and propagation and received the Special Project Award (Gold) of Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Awards (PMHA) 2024/2025.

On July 26, 2025, in Teluk Bahang, Penang, KPG carried out environmental conservation activities in the local community through collaboration with its business partner, IOI Oleochemical. Approximately 200 people took part in this program, including employees and their families from both companies, as well as local residents.
This activity aims to promote conservation activities for ecosystems and biodiversity in the region by informing participants that forests and green spaces play a role in helping maintain and improve people’s well-being and contribute to enhancing quality of life.

In addition to renovating the fountain, planting trees, cleaning the river, and analyzing river water quality, guided walks along the trails led by forest rangers and lectures on plants were carried out in this activity.

In 2021, Kao’s Karawang Plant in Indonesia started local biodiversity projects in the green areas on the factory grounds. The area is home to wild birds and insects that forage for flowers and fruits, and serves as a relaxing place for employees.
In the same year, a map was created to display the monitoring results for flora and fauna. Notice boards detailing the area’s animal life were installed along with the map.
Educational initiatives to promote understanding of biodiversity among employees are also being conducted.